The United States seized 90 shipments of fuel valued at about $2.8 million that, according to authorities, were being illegally sent to Cuba and had as their final destination ENETEC SA, a company of the regime sanctioned by Washington since July.
The operation was announced Wednesday by U.S. federal authorities, who are investigating an alleged scheme to evade sanctions against Havana.
ENETEC, based in Havana, is listed in the shipping documents as the “ultimate recipient,” according to US officials quoted by press reports.
The company was added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list of the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on July 13. The U.S. agency identifies it as a company engaged in the wholesale of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels and related products.
The seizure involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Authorities said they intercepted 90 shipments of middle distillate blended with biodiesel that were destined for a sanctioned Cuban entity and were part of a scheme to circumvent U.S. restrictions.
Authorities discovered in early September that shipments of biodiesel were leaving from Port Everglades, Florida, and from the port of Houston bound for Havana.
At Port Everglades, 71 tanks containing approximately 500,000 gallons of biodiesel were seized, while another 19 shipments containing roughly 120,000 gallons were intercepted at the Port of Houston. Authorities estimate the seized fuel to be worth approximately $2.8 million.
The Border Patrol director in Florida explained that shipments leaving Everglades were stopped after agents determined they required additional inspections to verify compliance with federal regulations. So far, authorities have confirmed the suspension of more than 90 shipments.
Officials did not reveal who was behind the shipments. When questioned by the press, they indicated that the exporters’ identities were part of an ongoing investigation and that they could not disclose that information.
HSI has also not reported any formal charges against individuals or companies related to the case.
US agencies are investigating possible violations of federal export laws, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and regulations governing exports subject to US export administration rules.
The case comes as Washington intensifies measures against energy supply routes to Cuba, amid the island’s severe fuel crisis.
ENETEC was added to OFAC’s sanctions list on July 13, when the Trump administration expanded measures against entities linked to the Cuban regime’s funding sources. @ADNCuba
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